Pick up at school

American schools are very different from Swedish. They are very big on security here, which in a way is of course good. If you are visiting the school you have to sign in at the front desk and get an ID badge, there is no walking around by yourself on school grounds! They WILL chase you down and get you, I have seen that happen!

Sarah's elementary school has Kindergarten through 5th grade, and many of the kids arrive to school on the school bus. We have (like many other parents) decided to opt out of the school bus and drive Sarah ourselves. Our choice of doing so are based on many things, mainly that Ken get a chance to spend time with Sarah every morning when he takes her to school.

I am the designated picker-upper in the afternoons, and I often combine this pick-up with errands I have to do anyway, after all both the grocery store and the bank are on the way home from school.

But the pick-up process can be somewhat lengthy. The school bell rings out at 3:05 PM, and most parents are at the school just after 2:30 PM waiting to pick up. The line is looong: it circles all the way out onto the street. At least most people turn their ignition off while they wait...

I don't mind the wait that much, it gives me a great opportunity to catch up on some reading and often I write grocery lists and things of that sort. And sometimes it is nice to just sit there and do nothing, watching the blue sky and see the squirrels chasing each other around, clearing my head.

The actual pick up takes place under an overhang, and the teachers in charge are like drill sergeants getting all the kids in order. The kids have to sit on the ground on a colored line based on what grade they are in. Then an adult have to walk each child up to each approaching car. No child is allowed to cross the RED LINE without being escorted by a teacher! Oh beware of the RED LINE!!! Jokes aside, I guess it is good they take care of keeping our children safe, they are after all our most precious assets...

In the little video below that I filmed today you can see how this process works. You will also notice my car windows seem to be covered by some kind of cloudy film. This is dog snot, from little dogs pressing their little snouts against the windows over and over again, hoping to see something interesting... You will also notice I invented a new word: "snircled", he he...